Jammu: As India is facing knee arthritis epidemic the number of patients requiring knee replacement has grown exponentially. Joint replacement surgery is a frequently performed operation — over 2 lakhs hip and knee replacements are implanted every year in the India, and the results are typically excellent as drastically improves quality of life and takes away debilitating pain.
Even though most of the surgeries performed are a great relief to the patients and surgeons go to great lengths to take whatever necessary steps possible to avoid complications, but sometimes, the results end up dramatically worse.
Attributing to a plethora of reasons, be it choosing the right surgeon, right hospital with the optimal facilities and technology, certain criteria is required to be opted by the patients in order to have a quality-of-life post treatment.
One of the most critical aspects is experience of a surgeon. Various studies have consistently shown that surgeons with a higher volume of performed surgeries under their belt yield outcomes with fewer complications. Some studies have identified cut-off numbers at 25, others 30, and others 50 surgeries per year.
“You shouldn’t feel reluctant to ask your surgeon about their volume. I can assure you that this is not an uncommon question, and surgeons should be perfectly comfortable sharing the stat with potential patients. Sometimes it is easier to ask your surgeon if he or she performs joint replacements every week or every month, rather than asking for the number performed annually. Lastly, I always encourage people to get to know their surgeon and ensure they have a good relationship and rapport.” Said Dr Ramneek Mahajan, Senior Director (Orthopaedics) & Head Joint Reconstruction (Hip & Knee) Unit, Max Hospital, Saket
The number of surgical procedures that an individual performs is just one criterion that you can use to evaluate their experience. Some patients will also compare their surgeons training, their board certifications, and other factors, but these have not been shown to have as much of an impact as the volume of surgical procedures that he or she performs each year.
NABH and The Joint Commission international, are the most prominent hospital certification organization, also provides certification for centers of excellence. In order to achieve this level of certification, hospitals must demonstrate high levels of the organization around their patient care programme. Specifically, the NABH and Joint Commission certification is focused on ensuring there are processes and standards in place to ensure effective communication and adherence to evidence-based practices.